In the months leading up to Gordon Gallagher’s Senate confirmation to serve as a federal district judge on Colorado’s U.S. District Court, we noted with bittersweet resignation that the federal bench would gain a Western Slope perspective, but that Gallagher himself would serve in Denver.

“That needs to change,” we opined last fall.

Unbeknown to us, it did. During Gallagher’s ceremonial swearing-in ceremony in Denver on July 28, he thanked his fellow federal judges on the seven-member trial court for permitting him to remain “embedded in my community” by working largely out of Grand Junction.

That nugget was provided by Colorado Politics, which observed that Gallagher is the first federal district judge in Colorado’s history to be stationed outside of Denver.

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Gallagher confirmed on Monday that the court assigned him two criminal dockets – one based in Durango and one in Grand Junction – that had previously been handled by senior judges with magistrates doing a lot of non-trial, non-sentencing work.

What it means is that Gallagher can now provide some consistency for the duration of his lifetime appointment. Instead of cases moving between senior judges traveling here from Denver or elsewhere, Gallagher will be the face of the U.S. District Court for criminal cases originating from Western Slope dockets. He’ll also be assigned civil cases from a statewide draw, the majority of which are Denver-based.

That adds another dimension to the importance of having a Western Slope representative in the federal court system. Gallagher had already been hailed by Colorado’s U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper for his familiarity with public lands, natural resources and tribal matters – due in large part to practicing law here and serving as a U.S. magistrate since 2012.

A good part of a magistrate’s job entails helping district court judges deal with caseloads. Now that he’s a district judge, it’s symbolically significant that Gallagher doesn’t have to leave the Western Slope.

How often have we witnessed an exodus of talent from the Western Slope because someone got into a bigger job and left town, never to return? Gallagher’s ability to remain in Grand Junction at the peak of his profession says as much about Grand Junction’s ascension as Gallagher’s legal acumen. Something to celebrate.

That nugget was provided by Colorado Politics, which observed that Gallagher is the first federal district judge in Colorado’s history to be stationed outside of Denver.

Gallagher confirmed on Monday that the court assigned him two criminal dockets – one based in Durango and one in Grand Junction – that had previously been handled by senior judges with magistrates doing a lot of non-trial, non-sentencing work.

What it means is that Gallagher can now provide some consistency for the duration of his lifetime appointment. Instead of cases moving between senior judges traveling here from Denver or elsewhere, Gallagher will be the face of the U.S. District Court for criminal cases originating from Western Slope dockets. He’ll also be assigned civil cases from a statewide draw, the majority of which are Denver-based.

That adds another dimension to the importance of having a Western Slope representative in the federal court system. Gallagher had already been hailed by Colorado’s U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper for his familiarity with public lands, natural resources and tribal matters – due in large part to practicing law here and serving as a U.S. magistrate since 2012.

A good part of a magistrate’s job entails helping district court judges deal with caseloads. Now that he’s a district judge, it’s symbolically significant that Gallagher doesn’t have to leave the Western Slope.

How often have we witnessed an exodus of talent from the Western Slope because someone got into a bigger job and left town, never to return? Gallagher’s ability to remain in Grand Junction at the peak of his profession says as much about Grand Junction’s ascension as Gallagher’s legal acumen. Something to celebrate.

Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Editorial Board

Read the original article here.